Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken

This air fryer popcorn chicken is crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside. It’s bursting with corn flakes and spices, and takes less than 20 minutes to make! 

Popcorn chicken is one of my favorite foods. Unfortunately, after struggling to find a fried chicken recipe that wasn't a) weighed down with oil and b) covered in gluten, I finally made my own in the air fryer. The game was officially changed! Air fryer popcorn chicken is the absolute best. This gluten-free recipe has everything you want from popcorn chicken, including a satisfying crunch with every bite.

Why You'll Love This Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken Recipe

• Crispy and full of flavor. There’s spice from paprika and chili powder, and nostalgic flavor from a corn flake crust. And since it’s made in the air fryer, there's hardly any grease. Baking spray is the only oil in the recipe!
• Almost hands-free. Once your chicken is breaded, the air fryer does the rest. There's no hovering over hot skillet or deep fry, no splattering oil, and this popcorn chicken cooks up ultra crunchy outside and juicy inside.
• Ready in 20 minutes. The whole dish comes together in less than 20 minutes, and it’s both gluten-free and dairy-free. Serve it with some sweet potato tots and your favorite dipping sauce, and you’ve got the perfect snack or meal.

What You’ll Need

Here are all the ingredients you’ll need for air fryer popcorn chicken. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for a printable list with amounts.

• Chicken breast – You should use boneless, skinless chicken breast for this recipe.
• Gluten-free corn flakes – Make sure that the brand you're using is actually gluten-free, see below.
• Coconut flour – Or your choice of gluten-free flour.
• Seasonings – I season the breading with paprika (sweet or smoked) and chili powder.
• Egg – For an egg wash.
• Dairy-free milk – I prefer using oat milk, but you can use any dairy-free milk, as long as it’s unsweetened and unseasoned. You can also use real milk or buttermilk if you prefer.

Where Can You Buy Gluten-Free Corn Flakes?

Despite being made out of corn, many brands of corn flakes aren’t actually gluten-free. Most of the large brands, including Kellogg’s, use malt powder to add extra flavor to their corn flakes. However, it’s still fairly easy to find gluten-free corn flakes. Head to your local health foods store and check out the cereal aisle. You’ll likely find multiple options for gluten-free corn flakes. 

How to Make Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken

This moist chicken recipe tastes even better than takeout, but it’s easy and quick to make. I'll walk you through the steps below. Scroll to the recipe card for the printable instructions.

• Prepare a breading station. Start by crushing up the cornflakes and adding the crumbs to a large bowl or shallow dish. In a second bowl, combine coconut flour with seasonings and a pinch of salt. Lastly, in a third bowl, whisk together the egg wash. 

• Coat the chicken. Working in batches, dip the chicken pieces first into the flour mixture, followed by the egg mixture, and finally into the cornflakes, pressing the cereal into the meat. Repeat until all the chicken is breaded.

• Cook. Spray the chicken with cooking spray and arrange the pieces in a single layer inside the air fryer basket. Cook at 400ºF for about 8 minutes, flipping halfway through. Check the internal temperature of the chicken, and if it's 165ºF, it's done!

Tips for Success 

• Use a mallet or rolling pin. When crushing the gluten-free cornflakes, use the flat side of a meat tenderizer or a rolling pin. These tools will give you a thorough and consistent cornflake breading, without damaging the plastic bag. 
• Keep one hand dry. Whenever you’re dredging foods to fry (or in this case, air fry), you want to use the dry hand method. To do this, designate one hand for the dry ingredients, and one hand for the wet ingredients. Add the chicken to the flour mixture with your dry hand, coat it, then place it in the wet mixture. Use your wet hand for making sure the chicken is covered, and for moving it to the cornflakes. Then use your dry hand for finishing the dredging. By keeping your hands separated, you keep liquid out of the dry ingredients, and you keep your hands from becoming covered in a sticky mixture of eggs and flour. 
• Don’t crowd the chicken. When you place the pieces of chicken in the air fryer basket, make sure that none of them are touching. You want all of the surface area of the chicken exposed, so that the air fryer can give it a crispy exterior. If you can’t fit all of the pieces of chicken in the basket, cook in batches rather than crowding.  

Serving Suggestions

I can't think of very many occasions when a big bowl of air fryer popcorn chicken isn't a welcome sight! I love serving these crispy chicken bites with a side of my homemade barbecue sauce or honey mustard for dipping. They're a great gluten-free snack on game-day and they're one of my favorite throw-it-in-the-fryer dinners during the week. Just add a side of crispy roasted potatoes! I also love tossing popcorn chicken over a massaged kale salad or this crunchy kale Caesar salad for a light and tasty lunch.

How to Store & Reheat Popcorn Chicken 

• Refrigerate. You can store this juicy chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven, the toaster oven, or the air fryer. 
• Freeze. Store popcorn chicken in an airtight container or bag in the freezer for up to 3 days. You can reheat in the oven, toaster oven, or air fryer, without defrosting. I recommend storing frozen popcorn chicken in a ziplock bag with the air pressed out, to limit freezer burn. 

More Air Fryer Recipes

• Air Fryer Salmon Bites
• Air Fryer Bacon
• Bang Bang Cauliflower
• Air Fryer Grilled Cheese
• Air Fryer Kale Chips